The career politician, former leader of Slough borough council’s Conservative Party, had told Dr Shahian about his first wife, but had convinced her that he was no longer married by showing her court papers about custody hearings regarding their three children, Reading Crown Court heard.

When Dr Shahian discovered the deception she ended their relationship and subsequently suffered a miscarriage.

The disgraced politician was fined £750 on Friday and ordered to pay £4,000 compensation to Dr Shahian.

Judge Ian Grainger told him: ‘You have served your community well, in particular as a councillor and at one stage as leader of the Conservative group.

‘This offence is a serious blemish on that character. Bigamy is in no sense a private matter. The rule . . . is a simple one – one spouse at a time.

‘Whatever cultural roots that rule may have, there’s practical wisdom in that rule.’

After the case Choudhry, who plans to appeal, claimed he had been forced to get engaged to his first wife when he was 11 and she was just a baby.

The marriage went ahead, he claimed, because it was his mother’s dying wish, but he said it was unhappy despite the best efforts of his partner.